"Mayweather Void of Killer Instinct"
Mayweather void of killer instinct
By Joe Koizumi
The highly anticipated rematch of Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana was shown live here in Japan, and we hear many opinions and impressions—pro and con—on Money’s performance. Our boxing fans traditionally love aggressive fighters such as Fighting Harada or “Fierce Eagle” Yoko Gushiken (who kept his belt on thirteen occasions thanks to his furious aggression). We prefer hard-punchers or KO artists to artful dodgers. Problem is for what our fight fans come and see boxing by paying for tickets or by paying to cable televisions. People wish to buy “thrill” in return for money.
Mayweather’s showing of yesterday greatly disappointed our thrill-thirsty TV watchers—all around Japan. We had highly expected Floyd’s knockout victory this time since Marcos had a notorious weakness in the midsection shown in the first round against Amir Khan and also revealed in the process of yesterday’s rematch. This reporter, one of commentators, really wondered why Mayweather wouldn’t go out and bring home the bacon early like Joe Gans now that Maidana was apparently through in the middle of the lopsided contest. Floyd said, “Maidana bit my fingers, and my fingers were numb after the eighth round.” Should his fingers have been complete, could he or would he try to knock him out after the eighth? Probably he wouldn’t and couldn’t—because of his usual safety-first strategy.
Japanese fight fans already realized that it would be very unlikely to see a spectacular knockout in Mayweather’s fights any longer. Every hardcore boxing fan admit Floyd’s exceptional reflexes and superb defensive skills, but also admit Floyd’s knockout ratio is dropping in every bout—now 47-0, 26 KOs—so low as 55.3 percent. Mayweather will—soon or later—extend his unblemished mark to 49-0 like Rocky Marciano. But Marciano registered 43 knockouts therein to have his KO ratio 93.5 percent, while Money’s mark will be 49-0, 26 KOs, which makes the ratio lower to 53.0 percent since we cannot expect Mayweather’s triumph within the distance in the future.
When we carefully watch Floyd’s record, he scored only a couple of KO or TKO wins in his last ten fights from his De La Hoya bout to his latest Maidana rematch. In last ten years since his DeMarcus Corely bout in May 2004, Mayweather pitifully registered only five stoppages in fifteen bouts in total.
Mayweather, after piling up a comfortable lead on points, always decelerate his pace in order to distribute his stamina (he’s already thirty-seven) rather than to accelerate his attack to finish his opponent within the stipulated distance. He wouldn’t take a risk to score a KO win but only look for a safer victory. Great champions dared to show knockout victories to fully entertain the audience. Wilfredo Gomez, who registered seventeen defenses all by knockouts, always attempted to demolish his challenger since Bazooka believed he was destined to dispatch him in front of himself. Roberto Duran, who scored eleven knockouts in twelve defenses through his lightweight reign, swarmed over his challenger from the start and had the crowd satisfied with money’s worth.
In terms of thrill, excitement and entertainment, we may try to compare Mayweather with historically great welterweight forerunners such as Robinson, Napoles, Cuevas, Leonard, Hearns, Duran, Curry etc. We, of course, know only knockout isn’t boxing, but boxing without knockout is close to amateur boxing where people appreciate only speed and skills rather than thrill or power. But we may compare our impressions after watching Leonard or Hearns with ours after witnessing Mayweather. Regardless of hypothetical win or loss between Leonard and Mayweather or between Hearns and Mayweather—even though Money may be able to outmaneuver Leonard or Hearns with his tremendous reflexes—what Mayweather renders us is less exciting and less impressive than what Leonard or Hearns took a risk and tried to display to entertain the crowd.
With respect to defensive skills, Mayweather may be as great and excellent as Young Griffo, Willie Pep, Miguel Canto, Wilfredo Benitez or Pernell Whitaker—all at the prime. We whole-heartedly admire Mayweather’s excellence. With respect to offensive skills, however, Mayweather may be inferior to Robinson, Napoles, Cuevas, Leonard, Hearns, Duran, and Curry—even though Money once displayed such a masterpiece of halting Ricky Hatton in 2007. What a move he showed in delivering a left hook while quickly turning around in the corner! That’s a textbook counter that it might be hard even for many boxers to follow or imitate. But Mayweather wouldn’t display such a spectacular knockout again.
This observer greatly evaluates Mayweather’s exceptional speed and skills. But some of our people have become bored with his less spectacular showing without knockout. For our Japanese fight fans including non-hardcore fans, it is a pity to be forced to watch such a tedious performance without thrill and without knockout. Lately in every fight Floyd’s popularity is declining here in Japan simply because of his repeated failures to show a KO or TKO victory. Probably will there be no words of “Killer Instinct” in Mayweather’s dictionary. He may need a new dictionary.
Re: "Mayweather Void of Killer Instinct"
You guys are ignoring the obvious... Floyd started his career at 130lbs. He demonstrated KO power and was at his fastest at 135lbs. He is now fighting guys who are naturally bigger & stronger than him. He's fighting fighters that can take his 135lb punch. Natural 147 - 154 pounders. He simply can't KO guys that going to finish their careers at 154 or 160 or 168. So he has to rely on his speed and defense to win fights. He's outclassing guys that should be able to pummel him into the ground because they're naturally bigger and stronger but he out-finesses them, not with power but with skill and agility. He's not going for the KO because he knows that he cannot KO Canelo, Maidana, Cotto, Mosely.
So why did he move up? because he can make more money fighting these bigger guys than he can fighting in the lower weight divisions. All the while making these bigger stronger fighters look like chumps.
Boxing isn't just about the KO.
Re: "Mayweather Void of Killer Instinct"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ruthless rocco
You guys are ignoring the obvious... Floyd started his career at 130lbs. He demonstrated KO power and was at his fastest at was at 135lbs. He is now fighting guys who are naturally bigger & stronger than him. He's fighting fighters that can take his 135lb punch. Natural 147 - 154 pounders. He simply can't KO guys that going to finish their careers at 154 or 160 or 168. So he has to rely on his speed and defense to win fights. He's outclassing guys that should be able to pummel him into the ground because they're naturally bigger and stronger but he out-finesses them, not with power but with skill and agility. He's not going for the KO because he knows that he cannot KO Canelo, Maidana, Cotto, Mosely.
So why did he move up? because he can make more money fighting these bigger guys than he can fighting in the lower weight divisions. All the while making these bigger stronger fighters look like chumps.
Boxing isn't just about the KO.
Exactly. This article is rubbish. Some people can't appreciate a certain style of fighting. Floyd was never a KO artist to begin with. If Japanese fight fans need to quench their blood lust...they can always watch MMA.
Re: "Mayweather Void of Killer Instinct"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ruthless rocco
You guys are ignoring the obvious... Floyd started his career at 130lbs. He demonstrated KO power and was at his fastest at was at 135lbs. He is now fighting guys who are naturally bigger & stronger than him. He's fighting fighters that can take his 135lb punch. Natural 147 - 154 pounders. He simply can't KO guys that going to finish their careers at 154 or 160 or 168. So he has to rely on his speed and defense to win fights. He's outclassing guys that should be able to pummel him into the ground because they're naturally bigger and stronger but he out-finesses them, not with power but with skill and agility. He's not going for the KO because he knows that he cannot KO Canelo, Maidana, Cotto, Mosely.
So why did he move up? because he can make more money fighting these bigger guys than he can fighting in the lower weight divisions. All the while making these bigger stronger fighters look like chumps.
Boxing isn't just about the KO.
Well said. Some good valid points there.
Re: "Mayweather Void of Killer Instinct"
Floyd will never stop anyone again it will be points decisions from now until the end of his career. I laughed when he says he will KO Maidana.
